Vacuum apparatus for steam-heating systems.



No. 893,269; IPATENTED JULY 14, 1908.?

A F. A. SIMONDS. VACUUM APPARATUS FOR STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1906.

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o flovnonavononult Wi ma/05 i v mmadoz PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

, I F. A. SIMONDS. A VACUUM APPARATUS FOR STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS.

' APPLIOATION FILED APR. 26, 1906.

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Snow Wot UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ARTHUR SIMONDS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMONDS HEATING AND SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed. April 26, 1906. Serial No. 313,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ARTHUR S1- MONDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Apparatus for Steam-Heating Systems; and

n I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum apparatus for steam heating systems, and its object is to provide a device that will be operated by the condensation water, as it flows from the radiators to the boiler; to provide a device that will operate automatically and produce a partial vacuum on the return side of the system, and to provide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention;'Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in side elevation with portions broken away; Fig. 3 a further enlarged vertical section of a part of the same and Fig. 4 a detail illustrating the check valves 8 and 9, showing a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents a pipe to return water from the radiators; 2 is a stand ipe in which the water accumulates until su cient in quantity to operate the device the upper end of which pipe constitutes an air space to receive the air or other vapors which separate and rise from the water 3 is a pipe communicating with the upper end of the pipe 2 to withdraw the vapors therefrom and thus maintain a partial vacuum in the pipe 2 and in the return side of the system; 4 and 5 are lenticular air tight chambers spaced apart one above the other and communicating by a tube 13.

The pipe 3 communicating with the under side of the chamber 4 and the upper side of the chamber 5 by means of pipes 6 and 7. I Inter osed between the pipe 3 and the pipes 6 an 7 are check valves 8 and 9 to prevent return of vapor to the pi e 3.

10 and 11 are check va ves through which the vapor is discharged into the pipe 12.

moved by the diaphragms.

15 is a longitudinally movable rod in the axis of the chambers 4 and 5 and the tube 18. This rod extends downward through a stuffing box in the bottom of the chamber 5 and is connected to a lever 16, to operate the .valves 25 and 26 as hereafter described. In

each chamber 4 and 5 is a flexible corrugated diaphragm 36 adapted to rise and fall throughout the interior of the chamber. These diaphragms are secured to the rod 15 by means of nuts 38 whereby the rod is A pipe 27 extends upward from the upper chamber 4 and has therein an enlargement 31 forming a reservoir to accumulate the condensation water and render the strokes of the pump less frequent. The upper end of this pipe 27 communicates with a horizontal pipe 29 and the return pipe 1. The pipe 29 opens into the steam space of the boiler 40, and in the pipe 29 between the pipe 27 and the boiler is a al-anced valve 25 operated by a lever 24. Connecting thepi e 27 with the water space of the boiler is a branch pipe 28 in which is another balanced valve 26 operated by a similar lever 24.

35 is a pipe communicating with the lower part of the boiler and the underside of the chamber 5. The levers 24 are simultaneously moved to open and close the valves 25 and 26 by a rod 21 pivoted thereto and extending downward through a lever 19 movable on the rod and pivoted to a bracket 39 on the tube 13. Connected to this lever 19 at one end and to the bracket at the other end is a contractile spring 20 which tends to move the lever 19 in opposite directions from its mid-position, and on the rod 21 are adjustable collars 22 engaged by the lever 19 to move the rod and to open and close the valves and 26. To insure proper closing of both valves, the rod 21 is divided between the respective levers 24 and provided with a connecting spring 23 whereby the yielding pressure of the spring 23 insures the closing of the valve 25 when the valve 26 is closed by the spring 20. To shift the lever 19, a rod 17 is pivoted thereto and extends downward through the lever 16 which lever is slidable thereon, and engages adjustable collars 18 on said rod.

A check valve 30 prevents steam from passing into the pipes 1 and 2 whenever the valve 25 is opened. If found desirable to in crease the frequency of the operation of the device, I provide a bypass 32 around the valve 26 and provided with a check valve 33 to prevent the return flow therethrough to ward the boiler, and a stop valve 34 to limit the flow of water from the boiler through the by-pass. To pack the rod 15 between the chambers 4 and 5, I provide bushings 37 fixed in the tube 13 and closely surrounding the rod 15, and water pack this rod where it goes through the bushings by a laterally and upwardly turned pipe 14 opening into the middle part of the tube 13 in which is maintained a supply of water to fill the pipe 14 between the bushings 27. The device is shown in the drawings with the diaphragms in elevated position, which position would be assumed when the return pipe of the system contained no water. As water flows from the radiators through the pipe 1, it is stopped from going into the boiler by the valves 25 and 26, which are shown in closed position, and rising in the pipe 2 will by its gravity press downward on the upper diaphragm 36 and eventually move the same downward expelling the water under the lower diaphragm through the pipe 35 into the boiler. This water pressure under this diaphragm thus affords a yielding resistance to the downward movement of the same and operates precisely like a spring or weight; storing the power applied to depress the diaphragm and again delivering the power so stored in raising the diaphragm. As the rod 15 moves downward, it moves the lever 16 and raises the lever 19 until the same passes the horizontal or middle position, when the spring 20 will suddenly force the lever 19 upward against the upper collar 22, there being space between the collars 18 to permit this sudden movement. The spring 20 will thus force the rod 21 upward and open both of the valves 25 and 26. Steam then enters through the pipe 29 and the check'30 prevents it from passing into the pipes 1 and 2. The water in the chamber 31 and pipe 2 will now flow through the valve 26 into the boiler and thus remove the pressure upon the upper diapln'agm. The weight of water and steam pressure in the boiler now being unbalanced, water will flow through the pipe 35 beneath the lower diaphragm 36 and force the same upward, which reverses the movement of the rod 15, and the levers 16 and 19, and thus closes the valves 25 and 26, when the device will again proceed to automatically repeat the-operation. At each reciprocation of the diaphragms 36, they will operate as vacuum pump pistons to draw the vapors from the return side of the system through the pipe 3 and discharge the same through the pipe 12. To accelerate the movement of the device, the by-pass 32 may be opened more or less, in which event after the valves 25 and 26 are closed, cooling of the chamber 31 and pipes connected therewith,

will tend to produce a slight vacuum and draw water from the boiler through the bypass and thus more quickly fill the device and lower the diaphra ms. The diaphragms 36 thus operate as the pistons of a pump to pump a partial vacuum in the system being depressed by the pressure of the water accumulated in the return pipes and the stand. pipe, and raised by the pressure 01 water in the boiler flowing through the pipe 35, the valves 25 and 26 being operated by the movement of the diaphragms.

To complete the system I have shown in Fig. 1 a steam supply pipe 41 extending upward from the boiler to which pipe is attached a radiator 42 having a steam trap 43 to permit the water of condensation to flow from the radiator into the pipe 1.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In a steam heating system having a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe for the water of condensation; a pump communicating with the vacuum space and having a reciprocating member operating to remove vapors from the same, and means for operating said member by the water of condensation.

2. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet and a return pipe, a pump having a reciprocating member and adapted to remove vapors from said space, means for utilizing the weight of the water of condensation to move said member in one direction and means adapted. to provide yielding resistance to said movement to move said member in the opposite direction.

3. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; a pump communicating with. the vacuum space and having a reciprocating member, a valve to intercept the low of water from the return pipe to the boiler, means for moving the pump member in one direction by the water intercepted by the valve, means for moving the pump member in the opposite direction, and means for connecting the pump member and the valve to open and close the valve by the movement of the pump member.

4. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; a pump communicating with the vacuum space and having a reciprocating member, a passage from the return pipe to oneside of said member, a passage from the boiler to the other side of said member, a valve to intercept the. flow of water from the return pipe to the boiler, and to direct the same against the pump member, and means for connecting the pump member and valve to periodically open the valve by the movement of thepump member.

5. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe opening into the boiler; a lenticular chamber communicating with the return pipe at one side and communicating with the vacuum space and open air at the other side, check'valves to control the floW of vapors from said space to the chamber and away from the same, a flexible diaphragm adapted to traverse the chamber, a valve to intercept the flow of water from the return pipe to the boiler and to direct the water against the diaphragm to move the same in one direction, means for automatically moving the diaphragm in the opposite direction, and means for connecting the diaphragm and valve to periodically open said valve when the diaphragm is moved by the Water. i

6. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; separate pipes respectively connecting the return pipe with the waterspace and the steam space of the boiler, a

check valve to prevent steam from passing from the boiler to the return pipe, and to permit water to flow from said pipe to the boiler, valves to close said separate pipes, a pump communicating with the vacuum space and having a reciprocating member operated by the water from the return pipe, means for connecting said member with the valves in the separate pipes, to simultaneously open the same bythe movement of said pump member, and means for oppositely moving the ump member.

7. In a steam eating system having a .boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; a stand pipe communicating at its lower end with the return pipe, a valve to intercept the flow of water from the return pipe to the boiler and accumulate the water in the stand'pipe, a lenticular chamber, a pipe connecting the upper side of the chamber with the lower en of the stand pipe, at flexible diaphragm traversing said chamber and depressed by the water from the stand pipe, pipes connecting the lower side of the chamber with the upper end of the stand pipe and with the open air, check valves to control the flow in said pipes, means for auto matically raising said diaphragm, and means for connecting said diaphragm and said first named valve, whereby the valve is opened when the diaphragm is depressed, and closed when the diaphragm is raised.

8. In a steam heating system having a 'boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; two separate lenticular chambers, a flexible diaphragm in each chamber, a rod connecting the diaphragms, a pipe connecting one side of one chamber with the boiler, pipes connecting the opposite side of the other chamber with the boiler, and also with the return pipe, a valve in the pipe between said chamber and the boiler to intercept the flow of water from the return pi e, means for connecting the rod and said vaive to o erate the valve by the movement of the diap ragm, pipes connecting the remaining sides of the chambers with the vacuum space and the open air, and check valves in said pipes to control the flow therein.

9. n a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; two superposed and separate lenticular chambers, a flexible diaphragm in each chamber, a rod connectin said diaphragmaandextendingbelow the ower cham- P side 0 the upper chamber with the steam space of the boiler, the water space of the boiler, and the return pipe, a valve in each of said pi es, means for connecting the rod with the va ves between the boiler and the said chamber to 0 en and close said valves by the movement 0 the rod, a pi e connecting the lower side of the lower 0 amber with the water space of the boiler, ipes connecting the adjacent sides of the c ambers with the vacuum space and with the open air, and

check valves in said last named pipes to controlthe flow therein.

10. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; a pump comprising two se arate lenticular chambers, a flexible iaphragm in each chamber, a rod connecting the diaphragms, means for periodically intercepting the flow of water from the return connecting the chambers with the vacuum es respectively connecting the upper to the boiler and directing the same space of the system and with the open air,

and check valves in said pipes to control the flow therein.

11. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return ipe; a pump operated by the water of con ensation from the return dpipe and having a reciprocating member a apted to remove vapors from the vacuum space, a valve to control the flow of steam from the boiler to the pump, a valve to control the flow of the water of condensation from the return pipe to the boiler, a rod to o erate said valves, collars on the rod, a pivote lever alternately engaging the collars to move the rod, a spring adapted to move the lever oppositely from mid-position, and means for communicating motion from the pump member to said lever.

12. In a steam heating system having a boiler, a vacuum space communicating with the return conduit and the air outlet, and a return pipe; a pump operated by the Water of condensation and having a reciprocating member adapted to remove vapors from the air space, a check valve in the return pipe, pipes respectively connecting the pump With the steam space and the Water space of the boiler, a valve in each of said pipes, a rod attached to said valves to open and close the f same, collars spaced apart on said rod, a pivoted lever alternately engaging said collars to i move the rod, a spring attached to said lever l and adapted to move the same oppositely l from mid-position, a second rod attached to said lever, collars on said second rod, and a second pivoted lever alternately engaging said collars at one end. and connected to the reciprocating member at the other end.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ARTHUR SIMONDS. Witnesses LUTHER V. MoULToN, GEORGIANA CI-IAOE. 

